Cover Image: My Magnolia Summer

My Magnolia Summer

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Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted copy of 'My Magnolia Summer' by Victoria Benton Frank.

Unfortunately, this for me was a DNF. As a lover of contemporary romance, and feel-good summery romances, this one didn't hit the spot for me.

Where the novel lacked for me, I must note the appeal of this book was based on it's beautiful artwork, previous reviews & description of novel.

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A chef leaves New York to head back her beloved Charleston roots to take care of an aili g Grandma. The description of the setting is luscious. Throw in so.e romance and you have a great read.

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A great beach read y’all. Family, food, Charleston. All the right ingredients for a southern summer read.

While not a chef, I worked twenty years in the front of the house, often helping back of house and Victoria- you nailed restaurant life.

3.5 rounded to 4 stars

I received a copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

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This was one of favorite books of the year! Victoria Benton Frank continues writing the same type of books that I cherished that her mother, Dorothea Benton Frank wrote! I am looking forward to reading her next book.

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Where do I begin?!? This book was amazing. It was the perfect book to keep summer alive well into fall. I loved the characters (most of them, anyway), the settings, the stories, and knowing that we get to learn more about them next summer! I know - that’s a lot of love - but I was truly captivated. I actually limited myself to a chapter or two each day just to make it last longer, because I could have devoured it in one sitting. The author had a way of making you feel like you knew the characters forever and were part of their family. I immediately felt invested in their story, and having visited Sullivan’s Island many times, the lowcountry setting really resonated with me. I felt like I should be able to drive over and visit the Lantern for a meal - she made it so realistic. I had the honor of meeting the author during her book tour and I loved learning some of the ‘behind the scenes’ of how this book came to be. There is no doubt that she is very talented and will be very successful. I already miss Maggie and Violet and Gran and cannot wait to find out what happens next in their lives.

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This was so much fun. This had great characters, and I loved the family drama and storyline. It was a fitting tribute to her mom. Dorothea Benton Frank (loved her mentioning of Dorothea and her books) . I hope Victoria intends on writing more novels. She is a great addition to the beach read community.

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This book is an entertaining summer beach read. The story is beautifully written and the setting is what captured my attention along with the charming characters.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the complimentary copy.

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This was a fun summer book. The story was good, the characters were interesting, and if at times some of the descriptions were a little more than necessary, I was able to overlook it. All in good, I enjoyed this read and hope to see more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Summer's not over yet - you still have time to read this book!

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I love returning to Sullivan's Island in the beautiful low-country of South Carolina. Maggie leaves her job in New York to return home when her grandmother is hospitalized. Her sister Violet calls and Maggie knows she is needed to run the family restaurant The Magic Lantern. Secrets seem to be itching to escape and Maggie is shocked about her mother and grandmother's relations. Southern fiction at it's best.

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MY MAGNOLIA SUMMER is a debut novel by Victoria Benton Frank, daughter of the best-selling novelist Dorothea Benton Frank and that name recognition should spark interest. However, the story itself is not that unique (young woman with low self-worth returns to her family home and finds romance, plus purpose in restoring family business). The Magic Lantern, a long-established restaurant in the South Carolina Lowcountry is now being managed by reformed alcoholic Lily with her boyfriend, Buster. Lily is mother to New York City chef wannabe Magnolia (call me Maggie) and local photographer, Violet. Car accidents, heart attack, a pregnancy, and other crises add drama to the family relationships, but the characters often feel stereotypical, with stilted dialogue and even multiple off-putting references to Dorothea Benton Frank's writing. A much, much more nuanced story which also features family dynamics and the restaurant business is Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal.

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Thank you to the publisher, author and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before release.

Unfortunately this was not it for me. I had high hopes and loved Frank's books. I'm thinking it was right book wrong time and will try again another time.

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Love, love, loved this one!!! What a cute summer read!!! As soon as I finished I was ready for the next one...I hope it is a series!! My son attends College of Charleston, so it was fun to be familiar with a lot of the Low Country locations. The characters were strong, perceptive, funny and quirky! I could imagine myself sitting right at one of those tables in the Magic Lantern chatting it up with one of the "flower" girls!!! Can they be my friend? Distant cousin?

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Victoria picks up where her mother left off and does her proud. You are transported ack to the Lowcountry with her rich descriptions. This is a story of three generations of women. Gran, her daughter Lily and Lily's daughter Maggie. Gran, the matriarch, is in a coma after a car accident caused by Maggie’s troubled mother, Lily. But once Maggie returns, she finds that her hometown of Sullivan’s Island holds even more secrets. The Magic Lantern, the restaurant owned and run by generations of women in her family, is now rudderless, and her sister seems headed for a savage breakup. Maggie feels herself changings, rediscovering the roots she left behind, and a new and different version of herself.

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I got 28% in and couldn’t find myself invested in the story. Gave me Where the Crawdads Sing vibes, but make it romance?? I live in the south, and it just sadly wasn’t my speed!

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My son, Sullivan, is named after the beautiful low-country setting of this debut novel by Victoria Benton Frank and Frank's lyrical writing capture the nature, colors, and smells of one of my favorites locations. I adored this woman fiction novel about aging parents, sisterhood, second chance romance, and familial growth. The setting, relationships, humor, and love make it a perfect beach read, rainy day read, or afternoon on a screened porch.

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For all the many, many readers who loved the Sullivan's Island based novels of Vitoria Benton Frank, her daughter has continued her work, and the great reading can continue! The setting, the intergenerational characters, the environmental themes, the romance -- it's all there. I look forward to recommending this title.

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This is Victoria Benton Frank's debut novel. This is a wonderful book about family and the love between three generations of strong women. There are some tears, a good helping of romance and some laugh out loud moments. Be sure to toss it in your beach bag when you head to the beach! If you dob't have a beach to go to you will definitely feel like you are at one. I highly recommend this beautiful book!


Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

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This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

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Escape to the South Carolina Lowcountry, where family bonds and hidden secrets run deep. In this gripping tale of self-discovery, Victoria Benton Frank introduces us to Maggie, struggling to find her place in the world when she receives a phone call bringing her back to her hometown of Sullivan's Island.

In New York City winter never seems to loosen its hold and for South Carolina transplant Maggie (born Magnolia after the fairest summer flower) the balmy beach weather of April back home on Sullivan’s Island feels like a distant memory. Until a phone call from her sister, Violet, changes everything.

Gran, the treasured matriarch, has fallen into a coma after a car accident caused by Maggie’s troubled mother, Lily. But once Maggie returns, she finds that her hometown of Sullivan’s Island holds even more secrets. The Magic Lantern, the restaurant owned and run by generations of women in her family, is now rudderless, and her sister seems headed for a savage breakup.

Once she is between the marsh grasses and dunes of South Carolina, she feels herself changing like the Atlantic tides, rediscovering the roots she left behind, and a new and different version of herself—one who can see how a minor crash into the back of a very handsome farmer’s truck may become fortunate. Or perhaps it’s even… fate?

When the three generations of South Carolina women join forces—the family pillar Gran, troubled Lily, impulsive Violet, and redoubtable Maggie—anything is possible.

With stunning descriptions of the magic of the Lowcountry, this novel will transport you to a world of treasured family traditions and unexpected twists of fate.
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I received an advanced electronic copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was very excited to see that Victoria Benton Frank was publishing her debut novel, as I have read everything her sweet mother has written and mourned with the rest of the fans of Lowcountry fiction when she passed away in 2019. She left big shoes for Victoria to fill, and this first novel shows real promise as she takes her place among the likes of Mary Alice Monroe and Karen White and Susan M. Boyer. Her descriptions of Sullivan's Island and her obvious knowledge of that area of the country, as she speaks of the unique beauty of that region of South Carolina, as well as her descriptions of food and the restaurant industry, which she draws from her time in culinary school and working in restaurants, all lend an authenticity to the story that comes from her familiarity with her subject matter. Although the story sometimes feels a little choppy, for a first offering, this is a very enjoyable story, with likable characters, and I found myself rooting for the main character, Magnolia (Maggie), as she struggled to decide just what it was she wanted to do with her life. I can't say I was surprised with her final decision, but that's what happily-ever-afters are all about, and I liked that this was not an obvious love story that had the female protagonist being saved by a man. I will happily continue to follow this author and root for her as she (I hope!) continues her writing career.

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This is the perfect summer read. It’s set on Sullivan’s Island, SC, and is a family drama as well as a love story. Maggie is a chef in NYC but isn’t getting promoted. When her beloved granny is in an accident, she comes home. Her family has run a restaurant for generations, but Lily, her mom, and Lily’s new boyfriend have changed the menu drastically.

Maggie takes over the chef position and meets Sam, and they’re spending time together. Maggie is wary because she’s going back to NYC after Gran is better. However, the longer she stays the more she wonders if NYC is still for her.

I read this book in almost one sitting. It’s very entertaining and feels like a mini-vacation. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

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